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Different Applications of Chinese Words 过来

It often happens in Chinese language that the same one word may have different meanings when being allocated with different words. One of the typical words that the students who are learning Mandarin Chinese is 过来, which has different meanings in 跑过来, 醒过来and 熬过来.

In the three phrases, the first 过来is the basic application, meaning that one thing moves from A to B in the same filed. Teachers who teach Mandarin Chinese may tell you that the application of the two other 过来 belong to the intensive application, which can be divided into the classifications as follows.

The first type of the intensive application of 过来is placed after the verbs such as 休息、修改、清醒、抢救and改造. In this case, it indicates to recover from the abnormal state to the normal state. Accordingly, the students who learn Mandarin should know 醒过来belongs to this usage. For example, you can say 睡了一天,我才休息过来 and 快点把作业里的错误改过来.

However, if the students meet 过来which is placed after the verbs such as 熬、挺and对付when they study Chinese language, they should know it indicates to get through something toughly and deal with the situations difficult to be done. After learning this point, the students who learn Chinese in China will know the usage of 过来in 熬过来belongs to the usage of this type. For example, you can say 那段艰苦的日子都能熬过来,现在怕什么?

The last but not least point that the foreign students who come to study in China should know is to be used in the potential complement for the purpose of indicating to finish certain action which needs much actuating quantity or has many objects. For example, 一个班50个学生,老师确实照顾不过来. Of course, you can also say你来帮帮我吧,我一个人实在忙不过来. After understanding the usages mentioned above of 过来, the learners can use it in the communication correctly. 

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